Mime Spoken Here
The Legacy of Tony Montanaro
• Complete Mime Course
• Tony’s Book: The Performer’s Portable Workshop
• Theatre & Inspiration Documentary
• Sketches & Archival Footage
• Celebration Barn Turns 50
The Legacy Website Project for Tony Montanaro
Welcome to Mime Spoken Here!
We are working hard to develop a complete, “official” website that shares the history and achievements of Tony Montanaro, that honors his contributions to the art form of mime and that provides educational resources to help further the world’s understanding of the beautiful art form of mime. We welcome input, information and new content! There will be galleries of photographs, videos, a re-posting of the Mime Times, a section on the Celebration Barn and a store for books, prints, courses and more. We will be trying to identify the people that appear in images and give photo credits to the many photographs that are on record here. Contact us by email or on social media and join our mailing list to keep in touch. Contributions are greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Michael Menes (Web Designer)
Send us an email at: inspiration@mimespokenhere.com
An excerpt from “Theatre & Inspiration,” the 2006 documentary film by Richard Searles, Leland Faulkner & Huey.
Biography
An early student of both Marcel Marceau and Marceau’s teacher, Etienne Decroux, Tony Montanaro was one of the great masters of mime. Tony taught his personal style of “physical eloquence” to thousands of students and other teachers for over 50 years – and not just to mimes. Actors, musicians, acrobats and clowns, storytellers and dancers, jugglers and magicians – all sought out Tony for his unique ability to turn individual talents into true and marketable theatre. Tony founded the Celebration Barn in South Paris, Maine, where he taught for 17 years, directing several touring companies and launching many duet and solo careers. He toured nationally and internationally with his wife and partner, Karen Hurll-Montanaro as the Montanaro-Hurll Theater of Mime and Dance.
To Tony, mime is “eloquent gesture,” with or without words, with or without props. Montanaro’s approach is more than an invaluable lesson in theatre; it’s a lesson in communication. Knowing what you want to project, sensing what the audience sees, and developing the skill necessary to bring the two together with eloquence and personal style is the focus of Tony’s Montanaro’s method.
“Technique is impressive. Artistry is interesting. ‘Impressive’ alone does not stand the test of time. The next guy comes along, and is taller than you, more accomplished, quicker, wealthier, busier… ‘Impressive’ is based on relatives; more or less, better or worse, etc. ‘Interesting’ stands alone. When something is interesting time stops and comparisons are irrelevant.”
– Tony Montanaro
The Performer’s Portable Workshop
by Tony Montanaro with Karen Hurll-Montanaro
First published in 1995, this Kindle edition of Mime Spoken Here has been updated as an eBook. This book covers: Definition and History of Mime, Warming Up, Premise Work, Isolation Exercises and Illusions, Preparatory Exercises, Improvisation, Creating Sketches and The Subtleties of Performing.
“My motivation for writing Tony’s book was, I think, more convincing than Tony’s motivation. Tony had been doing mime all his life and doing it with extraordinary skill, even before he studied with Marceau and Decroux in Paris in the late 1950s. I, on the other hand, had no idea what mime was until I met Tony. During the following five years of working together, I acquired a profound and life-changing appreciation for the art form – specifically Tony’s unique approach to it.”
-Karen Hurll-Montanaro, Co-Author
254 Pages. Download for $7.99
To Order the Kindle Version, Click Here. / To Order from Apple Books, Click Here.
Complete Mime Training Course
by Tony Montanaro
4 Hours of Ad-Free Immersive Instruction in Two Volumes
Available as a download or stream to all your digital devices.
This VOD version of MSH is $35 (normally $50 for the double DVD set).
***
In VOLUME ONE, Illusions & Exercises, Tony breaks down in great detail the dynamics and mechanics of such classic illusions as The Tug of War, The Wall, The Rope Climb, Walking in Place, The String Puppet, The Robot, Stair Climbing, and Slow Motion. As he explains the techniques involved in each illusion, Tony gives insight into how to bring the illusions to life through “premise” and “intent.”
In VOLUME TWO, Spontaneity & Invention, Tony is joined by a talented crew of professional performers – all former students of Tony’s to demonstrate further the art of “eloquent gesture.” Tony guides the troupe through a series of exercises designed to promote the understanding of process.
3 Hours, 49 Minutes. On Demand for $35.00
Theatre & Inspiration Documentary
Tony Montanaro (1927-2002) was one of the great mime artists of the 20th Century. Theatre & Inspiration celebrates his life and contributions to the world of theatre and the joy he brought to audiences across America and Europe. Rare archival footage of Montanaro is interwoven with interviews and performances, including scenes featuring his wife and performing partner, Karen Montanaro and legendary mime Marcel Marceau. In 1956, Tony traveled to Paris to study with Marceau and Marceau’s teacher, Etienne Decroux. After performing and teaching internationally, Montanaro journeyed to another Paris – South Paris, Maine. It was there, in 1972, that he established Celebration Barn Theater, which would become a mecca for mimes, storytellers, and actors who came from around the world to study with this man who was redefining theater. Puppeteers with Sesame Street and The Muppet Show., writers for Between the Lions, the host of Hollywood Squares, and performers in Cirque du Soleil are just a few of Tony’s alumni seen in the film.
In 2004, thirty eight performers, all past students, came together for a series of tribute concerts in a dynamic and fun filled homage to their teacher. Theatre & Inspiration shows this master’s ability to reach beyond the footlights and into the hearts of the audience. This is the living legacy of Tony Montanaro.
55 Minutes. Video-On-Demand $15.00
